Shibuya Yuuri awoke,
earlier than usual, with his right foot on his bed and the rest of
his body on the floor of his bedroom. His ANNOYINGLY undesired
fiancé occupied the rest of the bed and, from what Yuuri could
tell, was still sound asleep.

/How does he even
get in here…./ Yuuri wondered. /I wonder if he secretly
had a locksmith make a copy of my key…./

Wolfram's snoring
stopped abruptly as his internal alarm clock went off. That morning,
Yuuri would witness a sight that he so often missed because Wolfram
was always (well, almost always) out the door before him.

The blonde boy sat up
abruptly, swung his legs over the right side of the bed, and marched
out of the room.

/…where is he
going/ Yuuri wondered. He realized that he didn't really know
Wolfram's schedule; rather, he saw him whenever Wolfram WANTED him
to see him.

Little did Yuuri know
how far his curiosity would take him.

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

About an hour later,
Yuuri found his daughter reading a picture book in her room.

"Father!" she
shouted happily when she saw him, "Why are you up so early today?"

Rather than tell her
that he planned on tracking Wolfram like a detective, he said
"Because the earlier I wake up, the more I see you!"

Greta looked worried.
"Well, I was going to go play with Gwendal today, daddy. He said
he'd make me a stuffed animal if I helped him…."

/Thank goodness./

Yuuri bade farewell to
his daughter and continued on his quest.

/It's too late
for him to eat breakfast…was anything supposed to happen today…do
I have any meetings/

"Good morning, your
majesty.

Yuuri turned around,
startled, to see Conrad dressed in his usual tan uniform. He was
smiling, as usual. "Hi, Conrad….have you seen Wolfram?"

If Conrad had been
surprised by the question, he didn't show it. "Well, he's
giving a demonstration to a few candidates for his personal guard
today."

"Demonstration?"

Yuuri's question was
answered by a loud BOOM originating outside the castle. He and
Conrad rushed to the closest window, and what Yuuri saw troubled him.

"They're….they're
on the baseball diamond…" he said sadly to Conrad.

A group of forty Mazoku
soldiers, all wearing armor and looking formidable, stood in front of
Wolfram as he lectured. The subject of the lecture became obvious
when Wolfram chanted his usual spell and shot a fireball towards the
soldier who was standing directly in front of him.

Yuuri panicked. /What
the hell is he doing? He's not just going to destroy the baseball
diamond….he's going to kill those soldiers too/

He rushed out of the
castle and onto the field, with a protesting Conrad at his heels. As
he neared the baseball diamond, Wolfram cast another spell which he
aimed at a soldier who was standing to one side of the field.

"Animals which
compose the element fire—"

"WOLFRAM!" Yuuri
shouted. Was this punishment for something!

His fiancé
ignored him. "—this brave Mazoku summons you!"

Yuuri watched in horror
as the fireball flew towards its intended victim. /Wolfram is
attacking again needlessly…/ He could feel the anger of the
Maou well up inside of him.

"Animals which
compose the element fire, this brave Ma—WHOAH!"

The young king was
shocked when the soldier began a chant of his own, then jumped out of
the way of the fire ball and fell to the ground, laughing. A few
other soldier also laughed, and even Wolfram couldn't hide a smile.

"Well," the blonde
prince said, "that was pretty good, but you need to take the length
of the chant into consideration. As soon as I say 'fire', you
should start chanting." He turned to the rest of the soldiers.
"When the element being used against you is fire, which element can
be used to repel the attack…" he scanned the crowd, "…Julian?"

A soldier who looked
about Wolfram's age came to attention "Fire, sir!"

"Correct." Wolfram
smiled, then folded his arms as he paced in front of the crowd.

/Demonstration…./
Yuuri thought. He considered asking Conrad if this was what he had
meant, but he was interested in the lecture, too.

"Any others?"
Wolfram asked the crowd. "Let's see…Smith?"

Another soldier
answered. "Earth, sir. And water."

"Correct. Not many
people can use water-type magic, but it's the most effective
against fire attacks." Wolfram was completely absorbed, and was
oblivious to his fiancé and his brother (who continued to
stand by silently, probably laughing at Yuuri in his head).

"Now, to review."
The blonde prince said, taking a deep breath, "Each of you can use
magic, but since human enemies can use houjutsu, it's important to
be prepared to fight one kind of magic with another. Houjutsu isn't
as compartmentalized as majutsu, and the attack types can be bizarre,
but they can still be countered with majutsu."

Yuuri found that he was
a little in awe of Wolfram. It was clear from the faces of each of
his soldiers, and from his own manner, that this was an important
lecture. Although the topic was simple, none of the soldiers were
nodding off or dazed…they all focused on Wolfram.

/Is
Wolfram…popular/

"Now, for what you've
all been waiting to hear. I have three spots open right now for my
personal guard." Wolfram stood in front of the crowd now, his arms
folded and his face serious. "Since I often accompany the Maou
into human territory, a high level of majutsu skill is not necessary.
Rather, the spots will go to men who are skilled with swords, who
are brave, and," he said, adding emphasis and looking from face to
face, "men who understand the importance of the Maou's safety."

Said Maou felt his
heart warming a little. /He's probably just saying that
because he always follows me to make sure that I'm not cheating on
him though…/ Yuuri frowned.

"Now, after lunch,
I'll talk to each of your individually to find three replacements.
I hope that you brought your girlfriends or wives; the kitchens have
prepared a few specialties today and you should bring your
significant other to share it with."

The last part was added
a little loudly. Yuuri thought for a moment that Wolfram had spotted
him, but then the words "girlfriends or wives" hit him.

/No boyfriends?
Husbands? Unwilling male fiancés/

Wolfram's eyes found
him right then, and he looked surprised. "Yuuri! What are you and
Weller doing here?"

The crowd turned to
Yuuri.

"Oh my god! It's
his majesty!"

"The Maou came to
visit the lecture!"

Wolfram strode up to
Yuuri, shot Conrad a look, then glared at his finace. "What are
you doing here, wimp?"

Yuuri sighed.
/Translation: you startled me, so now I get to insult you. It
makes me feel better./ "I was wondering what all the
commotion was about."

Conrad shook his head.
"Whenever Wolfram accompanies you and you're not traveling in
secret, he has his personal guard assist him." Wolfram suddenly
looked downcast. "Because of the risks associated with those
journeys, Wolfram's guards tend to have a higher casualty rate than
mine or our older brother's."

The young Maou felt his
heart sink. /More people who had to endure pain…/ He thought
about that for a moment and then realized that the crowd of soldiers
was still staring at him.

/Oh god…/
He couldn't hold back a nervous look. /Don't tell me that
all of Wolfram's soldiers are gay…/

Wolfram cleared his
throat, and then gave Yuuri an serious look. "Yuuri, they're
you're subjects. Why don't you say hello?"

"Eh?"

"Don't say 'eh?'
like an imbecile!" Wolfram flared up.

/Translation: I
NEED SOMETHING FROM YOU! DON'T TURN ME DOWN, JUST DO IT/

Wolfram slapped him on
the back, very, very hard, and Yuuri stumbled forward towards the
soldiers.

"Hi!" He said.
/They're still staring…like I'm a celebrity./ "I'm
your Maou, Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri. Pleased to meet you."
They still stared at him, in awe. Yuuri now saw that most of
Wolfram's candidates were younger than Conrad—maybe even all of
them. He approached one of them and held out his hand. "What's
your name?"

The man gladly took his
hand. "Brookline, sir. Pleased to meet your highness."

As Yuuri greeted the
soldiers, he didn't feel Wolfram's gaze on the back of his head.
Conrad kept silent, although he knew what was running through his
brother's mind.

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

/Whew/ Yuuri
thought. /That was a lot of hands to shake…and I wonder why
Wolfram didn't cut in and call me a cheater, even when Issac or
whatever his name was kept making jokes and I was clearly enjoying
the company of someone else…/

It was lunchtime, and
the Maou fully appreciated Wolfram's earlier comments about
bringing wives and girlfriends. The room usually reserved for
ceremonies was packed with soldiers, pretty young women, and some of
the best food that Yuuri had ever eaten. Yuuri had actually found
time to talk to the soldier's wives/girlfriends, eat to his heart's
content, and stay away from Wolfram. His eyes sought out the prince
every few minutes, and he found that Wolfram was doing the same.

En route to lunch,
Wolfram had pulled Yuuri to the end of the group of men. "Wimp, I
need to ask you for something." He'd said in his usually haughty
voice. He continued without letting Yuuri speak. "I already know
that you're a cheater and a lecher, so this shouldn't be too hard
for you."

"That again?"

"You ARE a cheater."
Wolfram sighed. "I hate myself for saying this, but I would
appreciate it if you would talk to the soldiers and their women and
tell me how they act towards you."

So there Yuuri was,
talking to Issac and his pretty girlfriend, Milenda. "Well, we met
at her parents' bakery," Issac said. His arm was around her
waist and she was giggling into his neck. "Oh, but it wasn't a
HAPPY meeting…you see, my mother had bought some bread from there,
and you wouldn't believe what she found in it, so…." He looked
at his empty wine glass. "Oh, I'll be right back." He looked
at Yuuri a second before leaving the Maou with his girlfriend.

She smiled at him. She
had nice coloring…like Wolfram, almost. "So, your highness, I
heard that you were engaged to the prince."

Yuuri colored. "Yes,
but it was by acci…" His head hung in shame. "Yes."

"You don't seem
very happy about it…" She pouted and shifted from side to side.

/Is she flirting
with me/

"You know, I and
Issac haven't been together very long…" She smiled. "And
you're so very handsome…"

Yuuri gulped. He was
glad that a pretty girl was flirting with him, but she was with
someone…

Issac came back.
Milenda turned her attention to him now, and Yuuri felt puzzled. Was
this Wolfram's test?

"And so," Issac
began again. His eyes were focused on Yuuri, not the pretty woman at
his side. "So, what my mom found in the bread was actually—"

Wolfram was silent
until he had pulled Yuuri out of the room. He then made Yuuri face
him. The prince stared at Yuuri, trying to find something to say,
and then he closed his eyes for a moment and looked at the floor.

"Wolfram?"

"Quiet, I'm trying
to ask a question."

/Translation: this
is embarrassing./

Wolfram blushed, then
spat it out.

"Are any of them
gay?"

Yuuri's jaw dropped.
Wolfram had confirmed his suspicions; the prince wanted a homosexual
personal guard. He smirked, and Wolfram became irate.

"What is it, wimp?"

"Hm, I didn't know
that you would look for THAT in your guard, Wolfram."

"What are you talking
about?"

Yuuri smirked. "Well,
I don't know if any of them are gay, really, but if you're
interested in your soldiers then why are we engaged?"

/Checkmate./

"I am NOT interested
in my soldiers." Wolfram said evenly. He was clearly hurt.
"Rather, I don't EVER want to have a gay man in my personal
guard."

Yuuri was now
surprised. "Why? I thought that that kind of stuff was okay over
here."

Wolfram glared. He was
putting himself because his usual angry curtain. "Don't group
all of that together. It's my guard. I asked all of the men to
bring their girlfriends or wives so that I could ensure that they
meet three of my requirements."

"Requirements?"

"Yes. All of my
personal guard members must be talented, brave, young, and…" He
started to count off with his fingers, emphasizing the number three,
"attractive, charming, and heterosexual."

Yuuri was incredibly
confused. He'd never pegged Wolfram as a homophobe…he couldn't
even see how it was possible.

"Now, I need to get
back to the party." The blonde prince shot him another hurt look
and turned on his heel.

/Eh/

Yuuri did what he
usually did whenever he needed answers: he sought out Conrad. He
found him in the library, researching some complicated topic. Yuuri
wondered if Annissina was involved.

Yuuri frowned. Conrad
would usually answer all of his questions, nothing withheld. "Why
not?"

Conrad looked up at
Yuuri from the book he was reading. "It's a very personal
matter. I assume that he wouldn't tell you himself, but, if you
really want to know…"

"I do."

He sighed. "A few
years ago, a talented soldier named Balint made his way into
Wolfram's personal guard. Wolfram didn't know it, but Balint
harbored strong feelings for him. He later told me that Balint would
sometimes talk to him at night, or would come to his tent when
Wolfram traveled. Because Wolfram was unaware of Balint's
attraction towards him, he was surprised when Balint confessed to him
one night."

Yuuri was shocked.
"Someone fell in love with WOLFRAM?"

"Yes, it's not SO
unbelievable, wimp."

Yuuri froze as he
turned and saw the prince standing a few feet behind him, looking
like his usual pissy self. He glared at Conrad, who quickly left
while shooting Yuuri a "do your best" smile.

"Well, Weller, are
you going to finish the story? No, I should tell him, if anyone."
Wolfram stalked up to Yuuri.

"That soldier thought
that he was worthy of me. He thought that because he was talented,
and handsome, that I must have harbored feelings for him as well."
Wolfram stared Yuuri down. "But, I have ALWAYS waited for
marriage. I have always wanted a family…a husband, children, and
the like."

Wolfram paused and bit
his lip. Yuuri saw truth in what Wolfram was saying…he never
looked at anyone but Yuuri, he was proud of Greta, and he didn't
want Yuuri to stray.

"I tried to explain
to THAT MAN that I was waiting for marriage, and that I did not
consider any of my soldiers as possible bed partners." He huffed.
"Well, he just exploded. He accused me of looking at my soldiers,
of sleeping with them, and he attacked me in anger."

"After that, we had
him thrown out of the army," He added. "It's treason to attack
a superior officer, much less a prince."

The Maou held his
breath. "So that's why…you don't want any gay soldiers."

Wolfram nodded. "Not
all men share my traditionalist views. I do not want to invite
another man like that into my personal guard, to have him assume such
things about me and ACCOST me."

Traditionalist?

Wolfram looked out the
window for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Yuuri. "So, did any of
the men look at you more than they should have, or touch you on the
shoulder or anything like that?"

Yuuri blushed. "I
don't know why you're asking me. I would have thought that
they'd go after you." He was bitter because he had realized that
Wolfram had used him as bait. Gay-bait.

Wolfram rolled his
eyes. "Yuuri, you know that you're attractive. If any of those
men had been gay, then they probably would have been all over you."
He narrowed his eyes. "And similarly, did any of their women hit
on you?"

Yuuri sat down in a
nearby chair and thought for a while. Today had held many surprises.
Wolfram didn't want gay soldiers in his personal guard. Wolfram
had been attacked by a member of his guard in the past.

Why didn't he tell
me in the first place?

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------

Wolfram entered his own
bedroom later that night. He was worried about the information he'd
shared with Yuuri. /He'll probably make fun of me for it, the
wimp./ Wolfram thought. He changed into his pink nightgown and
prepared himself for sneaking into Yuuri's room.

His secret: a hairpin.
Wolfram had happened across one of the maids one day, as she tried
to open a locked door using a hairpin. He'd actually been brooding
over the problem of Yuuri's locked door the entire morning.

"What are you doing?"
He'd asked in a very intimidating manner. Lazania had jumped and
hit her head.

"Oh, prince Wolfram!"
she said, bowing politely. "The key to this room was lost, but
one of your mother's dresses—actually, about eighty of them—are
in here." She blushed sheepishly. "I know this works with some
locks, so…"

"Give me that."

She'd handed the hair
pin to and intrigued Wolfram, who tried to unlock the door himself.
He found that the hairpin was too wide, so he carefully cut it with
his sword and tried again.

He opened the door
after a few minutes to find that the room contained not only an
obscene amount of fabric in the form of lady's dresses, but also a
man's uniform hanging up, kept neatly.

Wolfram had stared at
it for a few minutes. It was red, not green, tan, or blue like his
and his brother's, and it was also adorned with a crest. Wolfram
felt his heart sink when he realized the identity of its late owner.

"Do you mind if I
keep this?" He asked her suddenly, holding up the hair pin.

"No, not at all!"

He smiled a rare smile.
"Just ask me if you need any more doors unlocked…it might take
forever otherwise…"

So now, the prince
crept to Yuuri's room, hair pin in hand. He unlocked the door
silently, as he was so accustomed to doing, and shut it as he entered
the room.

Yuuri was lying on his
back as he always was when Wolfram entered. Ever since that first
week, the Maou had always kept to the left side of the bed.

Maybe he's glad
that I come to him.

Wolfram gently pulled
up the covers and crawled in next to Yuuri. He let himself look at
his fiance's handsome face for a few minutes before shifting into a
lying position.

Yuuri stirred, and sat
up. Wolfram did his best to feign sleep.

"Wolfram?"

Nothing.

"Wolfram."

Nothing, nothing, I'm
asleep, shut up, I'm asleep…

"I'm gonna go sleep
with Milenda."

"YOU WHAT!"
Wolfram shot up, glaring at Yuuri, ready to wrestle him down to the
bed to keep him from leaving.

"I knew you were
awake."

Wolfram realized that
he'd been had. "Hpmh. I can't believe that you'd say
anything so insensitive!"

Yuuri smiled at him
gently, the smile that made him feel warm.

Even though he
doesn't want me.

Even though he won't
touch me or kiss me.

Well, you shouldn't
have sex until marriage anyway.

"What are you smiling
at, wimp? Are you in some kind of strange mood?"

Yuuri shook his head.
"No stranger than you."

Wolfram knew that he
was weak right then. Usually, when he came to bed, the Maou was
asleep (thought not snoring) and he kept away from Yuuri by thinking
of himself as Yuuri's protector. He was strong, and disciplined,
so their nighttime proximity did not tempt him. He was above that,
above taking free "shots" at Yuuri's body while he was asleep.

But now that they were
awake…

"Well, I don't know
what you're implying, but it seems insulting." Wolfram glared at
Yuuri, glared to keep from smiling back or adoring his fiancé.

"Wolfram."

"What?"

Yuuri's smile
broadened, but he seemed nervous. "Since I was awake when you
broke into my room, that means that I caught you and you have to
leave for tonight."

Wolfram looked worried
for a moment, and then…

"Ah ha! We never
made that rule."

"But I' the Maou…."

"But you're a
wimp!" Wolfram now grinned, while Yuuri rested his forehead in the
palm of his hand.

"Fine…" Yuuri
said softly. "Good night." He laid down again, and Wolfram had
to resist the urge to cuddle up with him.

If I do that, then
I'm no better than Balint. My love for him is too strong for that;
I can wait to touch him until after we're married.

Wolfram laid down on
his side, facing away from Yuuri.

I love him, and I
love our daughter.

He heard Yuuri's
breathing become slow and heavy.

I'll listen to him
fall asleep tonight.

Although he had never
directly told Yuuri that he loved him, he could feel that love
burning a hole in his chest every day. The only thing that kept him
from telling Yuuri was the reaction he knew he would get.

Wolfram sighed, and it
was the last sound Yuuri heard that night.

/Translation: love
me./

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